Benjamin J. Marrison commentary: Many good story ideas come from our readers

Saturday

Aug 24, 2013 at 12:01 AMAug 25, 2013 at 10:59 AM

One of the most frequently asked questions among our readers is where we get our story ideas. Most come from ideas we come up with, from things we cover, from sources we cultivate, from other news outlets, and from public-relations staffers. Some of the best, though, come from you.

One of the most frequently asked questions among our readers is where we get our story ideas.

As you might imagine, they come from a variety of places.

Most come from ideas we come up with, from things we cover, from sources we cultivate, from other news outlets, and from public-relations staffers.

Some of the best, though, come from you.

When we published a story Aug. 13 about a Fairfield County firearms-safety instructor who accidentally shot a student during class, some readers contacted us to report that the man had done this before. The tips were a bit vague, but the frequency and consistency of what we were hearing prompted reporter Mary Beth Lane to dig deeper into Terry J. Dunlap Sr.’s past.

After some research and the help of our library, Lane discovered the rest of the story: Dunlap had been here before.

In 1977, Dunlap shot Cathy Hessler when she was a 14-year-old Pickerington girl on a Halloween hayride. According to a Dispatch account back then, Dunlap, then a Pickerington auxiliary police lieutenant, said he had fired his .38-caliber handgun into the air to create, in his words, a “scary effect” while taking his daughter and her friends for a “haunted hayride” on his property. He thought the gun was loaded with blanks, but it wasn’t. Hessler was one of the people who called us about the incident.

In his most recent accident, in which he shot Michael Piemonte in the arm during a class for those seeking a concealed-carry permit, Dunlap thought the gun was unloaded.

Thanks for the help, readers.

We look into many of the tips and requests we get, but not all.

Sometimes readers will write asking us to interview a congressman from another state about his or her position on a particular piece of legislation. While we have more journalists than any news organization in central Ohio, those resources have limits, and we try to invest them where we can have the most impact.

Other times, the tip is about a subject that doesn’t have a broad enough appeal for us to devote staff resources. Having said that, we still want to hear those tips because there are times when a single tip won’t be newsworthy, but a series of related tips could reveal a newsworthy pattern.

For example, if a person got a speeding ticket in an area that the caller felt was a speed trap, it might not be a story. But if a number of people call in about a new speed trap, it would be worth investigating.

One of my favorite stories of all time came from a tip from an angry restaurant patron in Toledo. He called to complain that there weren’t any parking spaces at a neighborhood diner because the parking lot was full of city vehicles. All day. When a reporter checked into it, he discovered the tip was true. That tip launched an investigation into the work habits of Toledo city workers, one that led to firings, suspensions and new standards for productivity. I was lucky enough to work on that story.

If you have a tip, you can write, call or email reporters or editors, including me. Alternatively, you can email storyideas@dispatch.com and we’ll sort out who should consider the tip.

• • •

People who read this column tell me that they appreciate the behind-the-scenes discussions that go into the newsroom’s decision-making.

If you like this behind-the-scenes reading, you’ll love a book I recently edited about the 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, written by Dispatch beat writer Bill Rabinowitz.

It’s not a rehash of the season, but rather a deeper look at how a collection of young men were transformed into an unbeatable team by new coach Urban Meyer and his assistants.

Every Buckeyes fan will want to read it. But anyone who is intrigued by how teams are formed, or how leaders motivate, will enjoy this book. Rabinowitz, I thought, captured wonderful insights into how Meyer is part psychologist and part coach, how he makes his players earn their stripes and how disciplined he is as a leader and a person.

Obviously, part of my day job is to closely read what we print about things in central Ohio, including Ohio State athletics. I learned a lot about the team and its new coach from reading the book. I have shared some of my favorite passages with friends and acquaintances, a sure sign that this book breaks new ground.

We have printed an excerpt from the book in today’s Sports section about the Michigan game. A second excerpt will be published in Monday’s edition. The book will be available soon at bookstores and online. You can reserve your copy at dispatch.com/buckeyerebirth. I’m sure I can get Rabinowitz to autograph it for you.

Benjamin J. Marrison is editor of The Dispatch. You can read his blog at dispatch.com/blogs.

bmarrison@dispatch.com

@dispatcheditor

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